July 8th, 2020
Please join us on Friday at noon for the “Move for Justice” Rally, which will assemble in front of the Erie County Court Building (25 Delaware Ave) and then move to Niagara Square. Meet the Buffalo 5 – John Walker, Jr., Darryl Boyd, Floyd Martin, Darren Gibson, and Tyrone Woodruff – and show community support to get their indictment, No. 41-413 revisited by the Erie County District Attorney’s office. For more details, visit the event page on our website.
Later on Friday, join us at Lafayette Square from 3-5pm for the #CariolsLaw National Day of Action calling for an end to police violence and justice for our shero (and Board member) Cariol Horne. The march will assemble at Lafayette Square and then move to Niagara Square for a protest concert featuring Drea d’Nur at 4pm. #PassCariolsLaw #GrantCariolsPension #JusticeForCariol
On Sunday we will be at Amherst State Park (400 Mill St.) from 1-3pm where we will demand educational and economic racial inequalities be acknowledged in the suburbs and greater Buffalo area. All are welcome! Please note there is a parking lot off of Sheridan behind the Sisters of St. Francis building. Cohosted by @716protests and the WNY Peace Center.
The fight for racial justice continues at Niagara Square. Our own Racial Justice Taskforce continues to work independently and is also connecting with those at the Square and elsewhere. There is still daily activity at Niagara/Liberation Square thanks to the WNY Liberation Collective. Thank you also to everyone for your support of Deyanna Davis who was released this morning on bail.
A final reminder that our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, begins on Monday! Registration is still open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, music, and virtual field trips to MACHU PICCHU (Peru) and KENYA; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area, including Derek Middlebrooks of Nerds United, Poet Jillian Hanesworth, and Valentino Dixon)! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
We are, of course, still accepting *MATCHED* donations to the Father Joe Bissonette Fund for the WNY Peace Center. For more information and to contribute, please visit the fundraiser page on our website. We cannot do this work with you and are so grateful for your support!
Lastly, we are excited to share the IFCO/Pastors for Peace recording from the amazing event on Cuba’s response to COVID-19 for those of you who were unable to join us on the 29th.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
And another reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Please feel free to reach out and let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC.
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
July 4th, 2020
In our continued effort to limit digital overload through these intense times, we are again highlighting just a few important items and special upcoming events, and then refer you to our website for details on our regularly scheduled events and ‘Helping Hands’ resource list (including updated campaigns and fundraisers!).
We are excited to announce the Fr. Joe Bissonette Fund for the Western New York Peace Center to sustain our ongoing work and prepare for even stronger social justice activism coming out of quarantine! In these challenging times, we know that this work is more important than ever. The WNY Peace Center struggles to discern and do its part and can only continue with your help. See our letter below our event listing for full details about this matched fundraiser!
Our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, is now less than ten days away! Registration is still open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, and music; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area); and field trips to Machu Pichu, Peru and Nairobi, Kenya! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
Of course we also want stress racial justice issues – this mountain of work is not done! The stories of Quentin Suttles, Deyanna Davis, Miles Carter, Cariol Horne, and so many others each give very important insight to the lack of racial justice and police accountability in Buffalo. Daily activities continue at Niagara/Liberation Square at 4pm. Additionally, our own Racial Justice taskforce will be meeting more frequently, including planned alternating meetings likely at the Square (maybe Wednesday evening?), Zoom meetings, and Speakouts for Ethical Police Officers. Please keep an eye on our Event Calendar for updates.
Lastly, we want to mention that our radio show, Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center, is on indefinite hiatus due to administrative and COVID-19-related issues. We should have our most recent shows on our website before long. In the meantime, please check out the whole of yesterday’s Democracy Now! Daily Show featuring Dr. Cornel West, Angela Davis, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, with a special reading of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” by James Earl Jones.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
*** And lastly, a reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC; please feel free to reach out!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
June 23rd, 2020
In an effort to limit ongoing digital overload, we are continuing to highlight just a few important items and special upcoming events and then refer you to our website for details on our regularly scheduled events and ‘Helping Hands’resource list.
We hope you will join us this Thursday evening at 6PM for our Zoom webinar on Know Your Rights featuring Daire Brian Irwin, Esq. and John A. Curry III, NYCLU. The webinar will also include de-escalation techniques from WNYPC Executive Director, Victoria Ross, with a Q&A after the presentation. Meeting ID: 868 1853 9395, Password: 268120
Our shero, Cariol Horne, still needs our help! Please continue to call Mayor Brown (311 for city residents; otherwise 716-851-4841) and demand #JusticeForCariol! Restore Cariol’s pension and pass Cariol’s Law! PLEASE ALSO SHARE WIDELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA using the images on our website and social media accounts or at cariolslaw.com
Please also note that our 13th annual youth summer camp, Camp Peaceprints, is less than one month away! Registration is now open with a sliding scale of up to $25/week, with scholarships readily available! Camp will be 100% online this year due to the public health crisis, but we offer games, recreation/physical activities, art projects, music, and virtual field trips; plus wonderful guest presenters (activists and artists from the Buffalo area)! Please register ASAP as we’ll be delivering packets with art supplies, etc. for use during camp.
In response to the current $14 billion COVID-related budget crisis, Governor Cuomo is withholding authorization of NYS contracts beginning July 1st. This affects all operations – in particular, the funding of social programs like food banks and SNAP (food stamp) programs. Food For All and 43 other agencies currently receive funding to provide SNAP education and assistance in NYS counties, and their Nutrition Outreach program is one of the programs dramatically impacted. We are asking friends of the FFA and those who recognize the importance of the SNAP program – especially during the current public health crisis – to contact their NY State Representatives and Senators urging them to have the Governor authorize vital state contracts for the fiscal year beginning July 1st. If you are able to support FFA by donating a basket for auction, please contact Kelly Ann Kowalski at kellyannkk@aol.com. Visit our Campaigns page for more details.
Sentencing dates are again postponed for the remaining Kings Bay Plowshares 7 – now July 30th, 31st – per the request of the defendants in order to accommodate their right to be sentenced in person in an open court, witnessed by the public. As they await their sentencing, each of the KBP7 continues to serve their communities as human needs grow exponentially during this COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to write to Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in support of the defendants, you may do so here.
More previews for next week: Note the LASC/IFCO webinar in our scheduled events below. Plus if you’re interested in the Racial Justice taskforce, please check back on our Event Calendar – a date/time for the next planning meeting should be finalized sometime next week.
Lastly, out of respect for Martin’s request for privacy, our last mention of the events will be to share this video from Jimmy Dore. We ask that you please no longer contribute monetary donations to him via the GoFundMe fundraiser nor the WNYPC website, as these donations will be returned. We thank you for your understanding, kindness, and support.
Please see details and much more below, including other special events this week, regularly scheduled events, campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)! We update our Event Calendar often as we learn of new events, so please be sure to check back regularly!
*** And lastly, a reminder to pace yourselves – no one can do it all. Let us know what kind of help you might need from the WNYPC; please feel free to reach out!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
